LOF

BILL: Forget the beast!

JACK: And another thing. We shan’t dream so much down here. This is near the end of the island.

The boys agree passionately.

JACK: Now listen. We might go later to castle rock. But now I’m going to get more of the bigguns away
from the conch and all that. We’ll kill a pig and give a feast. And about the beast. When we kill
we’ll leave some of the kill for it. Then it won’t bother us--maybe. We go into the forest and hunt--
now.

The pigs lay like bloated bags of fat sensuously enjoying the shadows under the trees. The hunters, led by Jack,
inch forward, sweating in the silence no the heat. Fifteen yard from the grove. Jack stops. His arm points to a
large so that had been feeding her piglets.

JACK: Now!

The drove of Pigs starts up as the spears with fire-hardened points flew towards the chosen pig. One piglet,
with a demented shriek rushes into the sea with Roger's spear trailing behind it. The sow gives a gasping
squeal and staggers up with two spears sticking in her side. The boys shout and rush forward, the piglets
scatter, and the sow burst the advancing line and crashes through the forest.

JACK: After her!

They race along the pig track but the forest is too dark and tangled. Jack sees a drop of blood and swerves in a
new direction. The sow blunders into a tree forcing the spear deeper into her side, making an even greater
trail of blood.

The afternoon wears on and the sow staggers in front of them. She is bleeding and mad. The boys follow her
wedded to her in lust, excited by the long chase and the spilt blood. Struck by the heat, she falls and the
hunters hurl themselves on her. The pig is frantic as she squeals and bucks. The air is full of sweat and noise
and blood and terror. Roger runs around the heap and uses his spear to prod the pig’s flesh. Jack is on top of
the sow and is stabbing downward with his knife. Roger finds a place for his spear and begins to push until he
is leaning on his full weight. The spear moves forward inch by inch and the terrible squealing becomes a high
pitched scream. Jack finds the throat and hot blood spurts all over his hands. As the sow collapses, the boys
collapse on her. Butterflies dance above them. The boys draw back. Jack stands up and holds up his hands.

JACK: Look.

Jack grabs Maurice and rubs blood across his face. Roger withdraws his spear.

ROGER: Right up her ass!

MAURICE: Did you hear?

BILL: Did you hear what he said?

ROGER: Right up her ass!

The boys run around, playing the role of pigs and hunters. Jack begins to clean his bloody hands on a rock. He

51

cuts open the pig’s stomach and pulls out the hot bags of colored guts.

JACK: We’ll take the meat along the beach. I’ll go back to the platform and invite them to the feast. This
should buy us time.

ROGER: Chief, how can we start a fire?

JACK: We’ll raid the beach. There needs to be four of you, Henry and you, Robert and Maurice. We’ll put on
paint and sneak up. Roger can snatch a branch while I saw what I want. The rest of you can get this
back to where we were. We’ll build a fire there, and after that...

Jack bends down and is busy with his knife.

JACK: Sharpen a stick on both ends. Then ram one end in the crack between the rocks.

Jack holds up the pig’s head and jams it on the stick. The head hangs there with a little bit of blood dripping
down the stick.

JACK: The head is for the beast. It is a gift.

The boys pick up the pig carcass and march away. The head remains there dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood
blackening between its teeth.

***
Simon, concealed by the leaves, stares at the pig’s head. His mind repeats the idea that this is bad business.
The head was grinning in the daylight. It seemed to ignore the loud buzzing of the flies and the spilled guts and
the indignity of being spike on a stick. Was this a gift for the beast? Would it not come? In his head he heard
the head telling him it was all a joke and he should go back to the others.

Where Simon stands the heat is tormenting. Even the butterflies have deserted the place where the obscene
thing grinned and dripped. Next to the head, a pile of guts was a black blob of flies that buzzed like a saw.
Simon looks at the Lord of the Flies. He sees white teeth, dim eyes and blood. His gaze is held by the ancient
inescapable recognition. In Simon’s right temple a pulse begins to beat in his brain.

***

Ralph and Piggy lay in the sand watching the fire that has gone smokeless.

RALPH: That branch is smokeless.

PIGGY: Where are Sam and Eric?

RALPH: We ought to get some green wood. We’re out of branches.

PIGGY: Trouble is we haven’t got enough people for a fire. You treat Samneric as one turn because they do
everything together. We’ll that isn’t fair. Don’t you see? They ought to do two turns.

Ralph considers this and understands this. He is vexed to think how little he is able to think like a grownup.

PIGGY: You’ll want to get another green branch soon.

52

RALPH: Piggy, what are we going to do?

PIGGY: Just have to get on without ‘em.

RALPH: But--the fire. I’m scared. Not of the beast. I mean, I’m scared of that too. But nobody else
understands about the fire. If someone threw you a rope and you were drowning...
If a doctor said take this pill because if you don’t take it you’ll die--you would wouldn’t you?

PIGGY: Course I would.

RALPH: Can’t they see? Can’t they understand? Without the smoke signal, we’ll die here. Look at that. We
can’t keep one fire going and they don’t care. And what more...sometimes I don’t care. Supposing I
got like the others--not caring. What would become of us?

PIGGY: I dunno Ralph. We just have to go on, that’s all. That’s what grownups would do.

RALPH: Piggy, what is wrong with...

PIGGY: Do you mean the--?

RALPH: No, not it....I mean...what makes things break up like they do?

PIGGY: I dunno Ralph. I expect it’s him.

RALPH: Jack?

PIGGY: Jack.

RALPH: Yes, I suppose it must be.

The forests near the bursts into an uproar. Demonic figures with faces of white, red, green rush out of the trees.
They are howling. Out of the corner of his eye, Ralph sees Piggy running. Ralph prepares to defend himself as
two figures rush towards the fire. They grab half burnt branches and race along the beach. Three others stand
watching. Ralph looks at the tallest one who is stark naked except for a belt and paint. Ralph addresses him.

RALPH: Well Jack?

JACK: Listen all of you. Me and my hunters, we are living along the beach by a flat rock. We hunt and feast
and have fun. If you want to join my tribe come and see us. Perhaps I’ll let you join. Perhaps not.

Jack pauses to look around, feeling safe from shame or self-consciousness. The mask of paint is his protection.
Ralph is kneeling by the remains of the fire. Samneric peer together from behind a palm tree. Piggy stands on
the platform; the white conch is gripped in his hands.

JACK: Tonight we are having a feast. We’ve killed a pig and we got meat. You can come and eat with us if
you like.

Above Jack, thunder booms. Two anonymous savages begin to sway and then recover themselves. The littluns
are howling. Jack is waiting for something. He whispers to one of the savages who announce “The chief has

53

spoken.” The three of them turn and trot down the beach. The remaining boys gather together.
ERIC: I thought it was--
SAM: And I was--
ERIC: Scared.
RALPH: That was Jack, Maurice, and Robert. Aren’t they having fun?
PIGGY: I thought I was going to have my asthma--
RALPH: Sucks to your ass-mar.
PIGGY: When I saw Jack, I was sure he was going to go for the conch. I can’t think why.
RALPH: Sit down all of you. They raided us for fire. They’re having fun. But the fire is still the most

important thing to us. Without the fire, we can’t be rescued. I’d like to put on war paint and be a
savage, but we have got to keep the fire burning.
BILL: We need more people than we have to keep the fire going. Let’s go to the feast and tell them that the fire
is hard on the rest of us. And the hunting and all that--being savages I mean. It must be jolly good
fun.
SAM: It must be fun like Bill says--and he’s invited us.
ERIC: To a feast.
SAM: Meat
ERIC: I could do with some meat.
RALPH: Why shouldn’t we go and get out own meat.
SAM: We don’t want to--
ERIC: Go into the jungle.
RALPH: He goes.
BILL: He’s a hunter. They’re all hunters. It’s different.
PIGGY: Meat...

***
The Lord of the Fifes addressed Simon.
LOTF: You are a silly little boy. Just an ignorant, silly little boy.

54

Simon moves his swollen tongue, but says nothing.
LOTF: Don’t you agree? Aren’t you just a silly little boy?
Simon answers him in a silent voice.
LOTF: Well then, you better run off and play with the others. They think you’re batty. You don’t want Ralph

to think you are batty, do you? You like Ralph a lot don’t you? And Piggy? And Jack?
Simon tilts his head up. His eyes cannot seem to break away as the Lord of the Flies hangs in space.
LOTF: What are you doing out here all alone? Aren’t you afraid of me?
Simon shakes.
LOTF: There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I am the beast.
SIMON: Just a pig’s head on a stick.
LOTF: Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and kill. But you knew didn’t you? I’m part

of you. Close, close, close. I’m the reason why it’s a no go. Why things are the way they are?
There is an eerie laughter from the head. For a moment it is as if all a nature joined in the laughter.
LOTF: Come on now. Go back to the others and we’ll forget the whole thing.
Simon’s head wobbles and his eyes partly close. One of his faints is coming on. The Lord of the Flies expands
before him like a big balloon.
LOTF: This is ridiculous. You know perfectly well you will only meet me down there so don’t try to escape.
Simon’s body is arched and stiff. The Lord of the Flies speaks in the voice of a schoolmaster.
LOTF: This has gone quite enough. My poor misguided child. Do you think you know better than I do? I’m

warning you. I’m going to get angry. Do you see? You’re not wanted. Understand? We are going to
have fun on this island. Understand? So don’t try it my poor misguided boy--or else.
Simon is looking into the black mouth. There is darkness there. A darkness that spreads.
LOTF: Or else--We shall get you. See? Jack and Roger and Maurice and Roger and Bill and Piggy and Ralph.
Get you. See?
Simon is inside the mouth. He falls down and loses consciousness.

55

SCENE NINE: A VIEW TO A DEATH

Lying on a mat of creepers, Simon awakens. The sun has gone down. He turns over, draws his feet under him
and uses the creepers to pull himself up. As the creepers shake, flies explode from the pig’s guts. Simon got to

his feet wiping away blood that had spilt from his nose. The light is unearthly. The Lord of the Flies hangs on

his stick like a black ball.

SIMON: What else can I do?

Nothing replies. Simon crawls through the creepers until he is in the forest. Simon walks until he comes upon
the humped thing. Suddenly, it sits up and looks at him. Simon shields his face and moves on. The flies had
found the figure too. The life-like figure's movement scares the flies off for a moment so that they made a dark
cloud around its head. Then as the blue material of the parachute collapsed the fleshy figure would bow
forward. The mechanics of the lines gave away all secrets. Simon examines the white nasal bones, the teeth,
and the colors of corruption. He sees how pathetically the layers of canvas and rubber held together the body
that should have rotted away. The wind blows again. The figure rises and breathes foully at him. Simon
kneels on all fours and is sick until his stomach is emptied. Simon grabs hold of the line and frees the figure
from the wind’s humiliation.

Simon turns away and looks down to beach where the boys are. The beast was harmless and horrible and the
news must reach the others as soon as possible. As he starts down the mountain, his legs give away. Even with
great care-- the best he could do is stagger.

***
RALPH: Bathing. That’s the only thing we can do.
PIGGY: I don’t like them clouds. Remember how it rained when we first got here? It’s going to rain again.

Ralph dives into the pool. Piggy takes off his glasses and steps primly into the water. Ralph comes up from the
surface and sprays water at Piggy.

PIGGY: Mind my specs. If I get water on the glass I got to get out and clean ‘em.

Ralph sprays the water again.

PIGGY: Stop it! Do you hear?

He furiously splashes at Ralph.

RALPH: All right. All right. Keep your hair on.

PIGGY: I got a pain in my head. I wish the air was cooler. I wish it would rain.

RALPH: I wish we could go home. Where is everybody?

PIGGY: Perhaps they are lying in the shelter.

RALPH: Where are Samneric and Bill?

56

PIGGY: Jack’s party.

RALPH: I don’t care. Let them go.

PIGGY: Just for some meat--

RALPH: And for hunting. And for pretending to be a tribe. And for putting on war paint.

PIGGY: Perhaps we ought to go to. I mean--just to make sure nothing happens.

Ralph splashes water at Piggy again.

***
As the pig roasted, the boys are lying, singing, dancing, or squatting. Ralph and Piggy come to the edge of the
grassy platform. The boys noticing them fall silent one by one until only one boy standing next to Jack is
talking. Lifting his feet from the sand, Ralph strolls past Sam who puts down a gnawed bone and giggles
nervously. Piggy attempts a casual whistle.

The boys who are cooking the pig cut off a large piece and run towards Ralph. They bump into Piggy and burn
him. He starts to dance and yell. Ralph and the boys are united by a storm of laughter.

JACK: Take them some meat.

Ralph and Piggy each takes a juicy chunk. They stand and eat under the thunderous sky. Jack waves his spear.

JACK: Has everybody eaten as much as they want?

There is still food left, sizzling on the wooden spits. Piggy’s stomach betrays him. He throws down a picked
bone and reaches for more meat. Jack speaks with impatience.

JACK: Has everybody eaten as much as they wanted?

Taking in the tone of warning, the boys eat faster while there is still time. Piggy and Ralph move over to the
sand while Jack watches him from beneath the paint. The evening has come. But instead of a calm beauty
there is a threat of violence.

JACK: Give me a drink.

Henry brings him a shell. He drinks watching Piggy and Ralph over the jagged rim.

JACK: Who is going to join my tribe? I gave you food. My hunters will protect you from the beast. Who will
join my tribe?

RALPH: I’m chief because you chose me. And we were going to keep the fire going. And now you run after
food--

JACK: You ran yourself! Just look at that bone in your hands!

RALPH: I said you were hunters. That was your job.

57

JACK: Who’ll join my tribe and have fun?

RALPH: I’m chief! And what about the fire? I got the conch.

JACK: You haven’t got it with you. See, clever? And the conch doesn’t count at this end of the island.

All at once, thunder strikes. It goes beyond a boom, reaching a near explosion.

RALPH: The conch counts here too. And all over the island.

JACK: What are you going to do about it?

Ralph examines the group of boys. There is no help to be found. He turns around confused and sweating.
Piggy whispers.

PIGGY: The fire--rescue.

JACK: Who’ll join my tribe?

There a voices shouting “I will”, and “Me” !

RALPH: I’ll blow the conch and call an assembly.

JACK: We shall not hear it.

PIGGY: Come away. There is going to be trouble. And we’ve had our meat.

There is a blink of light in the forest and the thunder explodes. A littlun starts to whine. Big drops of rain begin
to fall.

RALPH: Going to be a storm. And you’ll have rain like when we first came here. Who’s clever now? And
where are your shelters? What are you going to do about that?

The hunters look at the sky. Becoming restless, the boys begin to sway back and forth. The flickering lightning
becomes brighter and the blows of thunder are only bearable. The littluns begin to run and scream.
Jack leaps on the sand.

JACK: Do our dance. Come on! Dance!

He runs stumbling to the open sand. The air is dark and terrible as the boys follow him noisily. Roger becomes
the pig-- running and jumping at Jack. The hunters take their spears. The cooks grasp their spits. The rest
take clubs of firewood. They form a circle and begin to chant. Piggy and Ralp, under the threat of the sky, are
eager to take a place in this wild but partly secure society.

Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!

The boys move in a circle and the chant becomes a steady beat. Roger ceases to be a pig and joins the hunters
leaving the circle empty. The dark sky is shattered by a blue-white scar. The blow of thunder was on them like
a whip. The chant becomes a tone of torment.

58

Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!

Now, out of the terror, rises another desire, thick, urgent, and blind.

Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!

Again there is a blue-white scar above them. The littuns scream and flee from the edge of the forest. One of
them breaks open the ring.

LITTLUN: Him! Him!

The circle becomes a horseshoe. There is a thing crawling out of the forest. The shrill screaming that rose
before the beast was like a pain. The beast stumbles into the horseshoe.

Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!

The blue-white scar is constant. The noise is agonizing. Simon is crying out about a dead man on a hill.

Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in!

The sticks fall and the mouth of the new circle crunches and screams. The beast is on its knees in the center
with its arms folded over its face. It was crying out against the noise-- something about a body on hill. The
beast struggles forward, breaks the ring and falls over the steep edge of the rock to the steep sand by the water.
The crowd surges after it. They leap on the beast, screaming, striking, biting, and tearing. There are no words
or movements except the tearing of teeth and claws.

The clouds open and let down the rain like a waterfall. The heap of boys breaks up and they stagger away.
Only the beast lays still just a few yards from the sea. Even in the rain they can see how small the beast is and
how its blood is now staining the sand.

A great wind blows the rain sideways. On the top of the mountaintop, the parachute fills with air. The figure
rises to its feet spins, swerves, and slides down the mountain. It sank toward the boys, and they run away
screaming into the darkness. The parachute took the figure forward, over the reef and out to sea.

The body remains alone off the shore until it is claimed by the tide. The water rose farther and enhances
Simon’s coarse hair with brightness. Bubbles of air escapes from his mouth with a plop. He turns gently in the
water and moves out to sea.

SCENE TEN: THE SHELL AND THE GLASSES

Piggy looks at the advancing figure carefully. He holds up the glass and squints through his good eye. It is
Ralph who comes out of the coconut trees. He is limping, dirty and there are leaves hanging from his yellow
hair. One eye has a slit and his cheek is puffy.

RALPH: Piggy? Are you the only one left?

PIGGY: There are some littluns.

59

RALPH: Littluns don’t count. Any bigguns?
PIGGY: Oh--Samneric. They’re collecting wood.
RALPH: Nobody else?
PIGGY: Not that I know of.
Ralph climbs the platform carefully. The grass is worn away where the assemblies used to sit. The fragile
conch gleams. Ralph sits on the grass facing the chief’s seat. Piggy sits to his left. For a long moment there is
silence. Ralph whispers something.
PIGGY: What did you say?
RALPH: Simon.
Piggy says nothing but nods solemnly. Ralph gets up to get the conch and sits against the log.
RALPH: Piggy.
PIGGY: Huh?
RALPH: What are we going to do?
PIGGY: You could call an assembly?
Ralph laughs sharply.
PIGGY: You’re still chief.
Ralph laughs again.
PIGGY: You are. Over us. Ralph! Stop laughing like that. What are the others going to think?
Ralph stops. He is shivering.
RALPH: Piggy.
PIGGY: Huh?
RALPH: That was Simon.
PIGGY: You said that before.
RALPH: Piggy… that was murder.
PIGGY: You stop it! What good are you doing talking like that? It was dark. There was---that awful dance.

There was lightning and thunder and rain. We were scared!
RALPH: I wasn’t scared. I was--I don’t know what I was.

60

PIGGY: We were scared! Anything could have happened. It wasn’t--what you said.

RALPH: Oh, Piggy!

Ralph cradles the conch and rocks to and fro.
RALPH: Don’t you understand, Piggy? The things we did...He may still be...

PIGGY: No.

RALPH: Perhaps he was only pretending.

PIGGY: You were outside. Outside the circle. You never really came in.
RALPH: Didn’t you see, Piggy?

PIGGY: Not all that well. I only got one eye now. You ought to know that Ralph.

Ralph continues to rock. To and fro...To and fro....To and fro.

PIGGY: It was an accident. That’s what it was--an accident. Coming back in the dark. He had no business
crawling like that out of the dark. He was batty. He asked for it. It was an accident.

RALPH: You didn’t see what they did

PIGGY: Look Ralph, we have got to forget this. We can’t do any good thinking about this.

RALPH: I’m frightened. Of us. I want to go home. Oh God, I want to go home!

PIGGY: It was an accident and that’s that! And look, Ralph, don’t let on that we were in the dance--not to
Samneric.

RALPH: But we were! All of us!

PIGGY: Not us till last. They never would have noticed in the dark. Anyway, you said I was only on the
outside.

RALPH: So was I. I was on the outside too.

PIGGY: That’s right. We were on the outside. We saw nothing. We did nothing. We’ll live on our own--
the four of us.

RALPH: Four of us. We aren’t enough to keep the fire going.

PIGGY: We’ll try. See, I lit it myself.

Samneric come out of the forest, dragging a great log. The dump it by the fire and head for the pool.

RALPH: Hey you two!

61

ERIC: Hello Ralph.
SAM: We’ve just been in the forest.
ERIC: …to get wood for the fire--
SAM: …we got lost last night--
RALPH: You got lost after the--
SAM: After the feast.
ERIC: Yes, after the feast.
PIGGY: We left early because we were tired.
SAM: So did we--
ERIC: --very early--
SAM --we were very tired
Sam touches a scratch on his forehead and hurriedly pulls his hand away. Eric runs a finger over his split lip.
SAM: Yes we left very early because we were very tired. Was it a good--dance?
The obscene word having been shot out of Sam’s mouth causes the boy’s to stir. The air is heavy with unspoken
knowledge. Memories of a dance that none of them had attended shakes all four boys convulsively.

***
Roger comes to place where Castle Rock joins the mainland.
ROBERT: Halt! Who goes there?
ROGER: Roger.
ROBERT: Advance friend.
Roger advances.
ROGER: You could see who I was.
ROBERT: The chief said we got to challenge everyone.
ROGER: You couldn’t stop me coming if I wanted.
ROBERT: Couldn’t I? Climb up and see.

62

Roger climbs up the ladder-like cliff. A log has been jammed under the top rock. Robert leans lightly on the
lever and the rock groans. A full effort would send the rock thundering down the cliff.

ROGER: He’s a proper chief isn’t he?

ROBERT: He’s going to take us hunting. He is going to beat Wilfred.

ROGER: What for?

ROBERT: I don’t know. He wouldn’t say. He got angry and made us tie Wilfred up. He’s been tied up for
hours--waiting.

Robert giggles.

ROGER: But didn’t the chief say why?

ROBERT: I never heard him.

Roger climbs down the back of the rocks towards the cave and the rest of the tribe. The chief is sitting there,
naked to the waist. His face is painted in red and white. The tribes sit in a semicircle before him. The newly
beaten and untied Wilfred is sniffling noisily in the background. Roger squats with the rest.

JACK: Tomorrow we will hunt. Some of you will stay here to improve that cave and defend the gate. I will
take a few hunters with me and bring back meat. The defenders of the gate will see that the others
don’t sneak in.

BILL: Why should they try to sneak in chief?

JACK: They will. They will try to spoil the things we do. So the watchers at the gate must be careful. And
then--and then the beast may try to come in. You remember how he crawled. He came--disguised.
He may come again even though we gave him the head of our kill to eat. So watch and be careful.

STANLEY: But didn’t we--didn’t we?

JACK: No! No! How could we kill it? So leave the mountain alone. And give it the head if you go hunting.

STANLEY: I expect the beast disguised itself.

JACK: Perhaps. We better keep on his good side. You can’t tell what he will do. But tomorrow we’ll hunt,
and when we get meat we’ll have a feast.

BILL: Chief?

JACK: Yes?

BILL: What will we use to light the fire?

JACK: We shall take the fire from the others. Listen tomorrow we’ll hunt and get meat. Tonight I’ll go along
with two hunters--who’ll come?

63

Maurice and Roger put up their hands.

JACK: The rest of you can go to sleep as soon as the sun sets. The rest of us got work to do. We’ll leave just
before sunset.

MAURICE: But what happens if we meet--
JACK: We walk along the sands. Then if he comes we’ll do our dance again.

MAURICE: With only three of us?

***
Piggy hands his glasses to Ralph and waits to get them back. The wood is damp and this is the third attempt at
starting a fire.

RALPH: We don’t want another night without fire.

Eric breathes on the wood until there is a little flame. Piggy takes back his glasses and looks at the smoke with
pleasure.

PIGGY: If only we could make a radio.

SAM: Or a plane.

ERIC: Or a boat.

RALPH: He said something about a dead man.

Ralph blushes at the admission of being present at the dance.

SAM: Smokes getting thinner

ERIC: We need to add more wood even if it is wet.

PIGGY: My asthma--

RALPH: Sucks to your ass mar.
PIGGY: If I pull logs, my asthma gets bad. I wish it didn’t Ralph, but that’s it.

The three boys go into the forest and gather armfuls of rotten wood. The place it on the fire. Once more the
smoke rises yellow and thick.

RALPH: Let’s get something to eat.

By the time they had finished eating, the smoke was gone. The fire was burning down to its embers.
ERIC: I can’t carry any more wood. I’m tired.

RALPH: We kept the fire going up there.

64

SAM: Up there the fire was small, but this has to be a big one.
RALPH: We’ve got to keep the fire going.
ERIC: I’m too tired. And what’s the good in doing it?
RALPH: Eric, don’t talk like that!

SAM: Well, what is the good?
PIGGY: Ralph has told you often enough. How else are we going to be rescued? Of course if you don’t want

smoke..
RALPH: Don’t you understand? There’s only one thing we can do to get us out of this mess. Anyone can

play at hunting. Anyone can get meat. So we’ve got to make smoke and more smoke.
ERIC: But we can’t keep the fire going. It’s dying again.

RALPH: Two will have to mind the fire twelve hours a day.
ERIC: We can’t get any more wood Ralph.

SAM: Not in the woods--

ERIC: Not at night.

PIGGY: We can light it every morning. Nobody is going to see smoke in the dark.

SAM: Yes, it was different when the fire was--up there.

RALPH: Let the fire go then for tonight.

Ralph leads the way back to the first shelter. The burrow under a bed of leaves. The twins lie together. Piggy
and Ralph are on the other side. Ralph has nightmares and must be awakened by Piggy. The twins have
nightmares and scream out each other’s names.
PIGGY: We’ve got to get out of this.

RALPH: What do you mean?
PIGGY: Getting rescued. I mean it. If we don’t get home soon, we’ll go crazy.
RALPH: Why don’t you write a letter to your auntie?
PIGGY: I don’t know where she is right now. I haven’t got an envelope or a stamp. And there isn’t a mailbox

or a postman.

The success of his tiny joke overcame Ralph. Ralph's body begins to jump and twitch. His laughter fills the
darkness.

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PIGGY: I haven’t said anything funny.

Ralph continues to laugh until his chest hurts. The laugher leads to heavy sleep.

PIGGY: Ralph wake up. Be quiet. You must be quiet because.

RALPH: Why?
PIGGY: There’s something moving outside. Listen.
RALPH: I can’t hear anything.

PIGGY: Listen for a while.

A yard or so from the shelter, a stick cracks.

PIGGY: Ralph! Ralph!

RALPH: Shut up!

Ralph says a silent prayer that the beast will prefer the littluns. Outside, there is a voice whispers...

VOICE: Piggy, Piggy
PIGGY: It’s come! It’s real!

VOICE: Piggy, come outside, I want you Piggy.
RALPH: (whispers) Don’t say anything!

VOICE: Piggy, where are you Piggy?

Something brushes against the shelter. Piggy starts to have an asthma attack. He crashes among the leaf-
covered floor. Ralph rolls away. There is snarling at the front of the shelter. Ralph hits out and it seems a
dozen bodies are rolling all over. They are biting, hitting, scratching. A fist connects with his face. A knee
lands between his legs. Ralph fights back in the darkness. The figures draw themselves out of the wreckage
and run away. Soon only the sounds of the littluns screams and Piggy’s gasps for air can be heard. Ralph
calls out.

RALPH: All you littluns go back to sleep. We had a fight with the others. Now go to sleep. Samneric, are you
two all right?

SAM: I think so.

ERIC: I got busted.
SAM: So did I. How’s Piggy?

They haul Piggy away from the wreckage and lean him against the tree.

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RALPH: Did you get hurt Piggy?
PIGGY: Not much.
RALPH: That was Jack and his hunters. Why can’t they leave us alone?
SAM: We gave them something to think about. At least you did Ralph.
RALPH: I smashed him up all right. He won’t want to come and fight us again in a hurry.
ERIC: So did I. When I woke up someone was kicking me in the face. But I got him in the end.
RALPH: What did you do?
ERIC: I got my knee up and hit him hard in the...You should have heard him holler. He won’t come back in a

hurry either. So we really didn’t do that bad.
Piggy pulls up his legs.
RALPH: You all right, Piggy?
PIGGY: I thought they wanted the conch.
RALPH: They didn’t take the conch.
PIGGY: I know. They came for something else. Ralph, what am I going to do?
Along the beach, three figures go towards Castle Rock. Occasionally, they sing softly. Occasionally they did
cartwheels. The chief led them. His head is held high. From his left hand there dangles Piggy’s broken
glasses.

SCENE 11: CASTLE ROCK

The four boys have gathered where the fire had been. Ralph blows at the dead ashes, but there is nothing.
RALPH: It’s no use.
Eric looks down from a mass of dried blood. Piggy looks in the direction of Ralph.
PIGGY: Of course it is no use, Ralph. Now we don’t have fire.
RALPH: Can you see me?
PIGGY: A bit. They’ve got our fire.
RALPH: They stole it.
PIGGY: That’s them. They blinded me. That’s Jack Merridew. You call an assembly Ralph. We have to

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decide what to do.

RALPH: An assembly for only us?

PIGGY: It’s all we got. Sam--let me hold on to you. Lead me to the platform. Ralph, blow the conch. Blow
it as loud as you can.

Ralph blows the conch. The littluns come from the shelter. Ralph puts the conch in Piggy’s hands.

PIGGY: I take the conch to tell you this. I can’t see anymore and I got to get my glasses back. Awful things
have been done on this island. I voted Ralph chief. He’s the only one whoever got anything done.
Now you speak Ralph and tell us what. Or else--

RALPH: Just an ordinary fire. You’d think we could do that wouldn’t you? Just a smoke signal so we could
be rescued. Are we savages or what? Only now there is no signal going up. Ships could be passing!
Do you remember how he went hunting and the fire went out and a ship passed by? And they all
think he is the best chief! Then there was, there was…that’s his fault, too. If it hadn’t been for him it
would never have happened. Now Piggy can’t see, and they came, stealing--at night, in the darkness,
they stole our fire. We’d have given them fire if they asked. But they stole it. Now the fire is out
and the signal’s out and we can’t ever be rescued.

Piggy holds out his hands for the conch.

PIGGY: What are you going to do Ralph? This is just talking without deciding. I want my glasses!

RALPH: I’m trying to think. Supposing we go, looking like we used to--washed and hair brushed. After all
we aren’t savages really and being rescued isn’t a game. We ought to clean up a bit and then go.

SAM: We ought to take spears. Even Piggy.

ERIC: Because we may need them.

PIGGY: You haven’t got the conch. You can take spears if you want to but I shall not. What’s the good? I have
to be led around like a dog anyways. Yes, laugh. Go on laugh. There’s them on the island who
would laugh at anything. And look what’s happened?
What are grownups going to think? Young Simon was murdered. And there was that other kid with
the mark on his face. Who has seen him since the fire?

RALPH: Piggy, stop.

PIGGY: I got the conch! I am going to that Jack Merridew and tell him. I am.

ERIC: You’ll get hurt.

PIGGY: What can he do more than he has? I’ll tell him what is what. You carry the conch Ralph and I’ll show
him something he hasn’t got. I’m going to him with this conch in my hands. I’m going to hold it
out. Look, I’m going to say. You’re stronger than I am and you haven’t got asthma. You can see
with both eyes. I don’t ask for my glasses back as a favor. I ask you to give them back because
what’s right is right. Give me my glasses--I’m going to say--you have to!

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Piggy pushes the conch away from him and into Ralph’s hands. He wipes the tears from his eyes.
RALPH: All right. You can try if you like. We’ll go with you.
SAM: He’ll be painted. You know how he will be.
ERIC: If he gets angry, we’ve had it.
RALPH: Don’t be silly. Let’s go.
Ralph hands the conch to Piggy who blushes with pride.
RALPH: You must carry it.
PIGGY: When we are ready, I’ll carry it. I don’t mind. I’ll be glad, Ralph; only I’ll have to be led.
RALPH: We better eat and then get ready. While we are there we’ll wash.
SAM: But we bathe every day.
RALPH: We ought to comb our hair only it is too long.
ERIC: I’ve got socks back at the shelter. We could wear them on our heads like hats.
PIGGY: We could find something to tie your hair back.
SAM: Like a girl!
PIGGY: No, of course not.
RALPH: Then we must go as we are. They won’t be any better.
ERIC: But they will be painted. You know how it is?
RALPH: Well, we won’t be painted because we are not savages.
SAM: All the same.
RALPH: No paint! Smoke! We’ve got to have smoke. SMOKE!!! WE NEED SMOKE!!!
PIGGY: Of course, we need smoke Ralph; we shan’t be rescued without it.
RALPH: I KNOW THAT! ARE YOU SAYING I’M FORGETTING IT?!
PIGGY: I’m just saying what you always say. You’re Chief Ralph. You remember everything. You haven’t

forgotten. Of course not!
The twins are examining Ralph closely as if they are seeing him for the first time.

***

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They set off on the beach in formation. Ralph leads the way. He is limping a little and his spear is leaning on
his shoulder. Behind him are the twins. They trailed the butts of their spears. Piggy follows the movement of
the spears. The conch is held carefully in his hands. In silence, they pass the place where the tribe danced.
They reach the narrow neck of Castle Rock.

RALPH: I’ll go first, then Piggy a pace behind me. You two follow behind. Keep your spears ready.

PIGGY: Is it safe? Isn’t there a cliff? I can hear the sea.

RALPH: You just keep close to me.

Ralph moves forward along the neck. He kicked a small stone off the cliff. The sea sucked it down revealing a
red weedy square forty feet beneath.

PIGGY: Am I safe? I feel awful.

From high above there is an imitation war cry that is answered by a dozen voices from behind the rock.

RALPH: Give me the rock and stand still.

ROGER: Halt! Who goes there?

RALPH: You can see who I am! Stop being silly!

Ralph puts the conch to his lips and blows. Savages appear. They are painted out of recognition. They carry
spears. Ralph continues to blow the conch despite Piggy’s outcries of terror.

ROGER: You leave here!

RALPH: I’m calling an assembly.

Silence. Roger takes a small stone and throws it between the twins, aiming to miss. They started and Sam only
just kept his footing. Some source of power begins to rise in Roger’s body.

RALPH: I’m calling an assembly. Where’s Jack?

ROBERT: He’s hunting and he’s said we weren’t to let you in.
RALPH: I’ve come to see about the fire and about Piggy’s specs.

The group above him shifted and laughed. The laughter echoes against the stone walls. A voice speaks from
behind Ralph. The twins rush forward, and guard Ralph. Jack, identifiable by his voice and red hair, walks
forward. Hunters are crouched on either side. All three are masked in black and green. Behind them on the
grass the headless body of the sow lay where they had dropped it.

JACK: What do you want?
PIGGY: Don’t leave me Ralph!

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Ralph walks a few steps towards Piggy who whispers.
PIGGY: Don’t leave me Ralph!
Ralph leads Piggy to a rock and places Piggy’s hands on it.

RALPH: You kneel down and wait until I get back.

Piggy grips the rock. The savages begin to hiss.

JACK: You go away, Ralph. You keep to your end. This is my end and my tribe. You leave me alone.
RALPH: You pinched Piggy’s specs. You’ve got to give them back.

JACK: Got to. Who says?
RALPH: I say! You voted for me for chief. Didn’t you hear the conch? You played a dirty trick--we would

have given you fire if you asked for it. You could have had fire whenever you wanted. But you
didn’t. You came sneaking up like a thief and stole Piggy’s glasses!

JACK: Say that again!

RALPH: Thief! THIEF!

PIGGY: Ralph, mind me!
Jack rushes and makes a stab at Ralph’s chest with his spear. Ralph catches Jack’s arm and put the thrust
aside with the butt of his own spear. He brought the other end around and hit Jack across the ear. The boys
stood chest to chest, breathing fiercely, pushing and glaring.
JACK: Who’s a thief?!

RALPH: You are!
Jack wrenches free and swings at Ralph. They use the points of their spears now. A blow falls upon Ralph’s
fingers. They switch places again and again. Both boys are breathing heavy.

JACK: Come on then-

RALPH: You come on!

JACK: You come on and see what you get!

RALPH: You come on!
Piggy clutches the rock as he tries to get Ralph’s attention. Ralph turns to him but keeps a weary eye on Jack.

PIGGY: Ralph, remember what we came for. The fire! My specs...

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Ralph nods. He relaxes his fighting muscles and stands with the point of his spear in the ground. Jack watches
him through the paint. Jack looks up at the rocks and the savages.

RALPH: Listen, we’ve come to say this. First, you’ve got to give back Piggy’s specs. If he hasn’t got them he
can’t see. You aren’t playing the game--.

The tribe of hunters giggle and Ralph's mind falters. He gazes up at Jack’s black and green mask and tries to
remember what Jack looked like.

PIGGY: And the fire.

RALPH: Oh yes. I’ve been saying this before. I’ve said this ever since we got here. Your only hope is
keeping a signal fire going. Then maybe a ship will notice the smoke, come rescue us, and take us
home. But without that smoke we’ve got to wait till some ship comes by accident. We might wait
years--till we are old--.

The laughter from the savages is shivering, silvery, and unreal. It sprays out and echoes. Ralph is overcome
by a gust of rage.

RALPH: Don’t you understand you painted fools. Sam, Eric, Piggy, and me aren’t enough to keep a fire
going. We tried to keep it going, but we couldn’t. And you play at hunting... Look at that! You call
that a signal fire? That’s a cooking fire. Now you’re going to eat and there will be no smoke. There
could be a ship out there!

Ralph pauses defeated by the silence. Ralph addresses Samneric who stands between him and the tribe.

JACK: You two. Get back.

No one answers him. The twins stare at each other. Jack looks between Ralph and the twins.

JACK: Grab them!

No one moves. Jack shouts angrily.

JACK: I said grab them!

The painted group moves around Sam and Eric nervously. Their laughter is scattered.

SAM: Oh, I say!

ERIC: Honestly!

Their spears are taken from them.

JACK: Tie them up!

RALPH: Jack!

JACK: I said tie them up!

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The painted group feels the otherness of Samneric, felt the power in their own hands. They punched the twins
clumsily and excitedly. Jack knows that Ralph will attempt a rescue and swings at him. The blow just misses
Ralph. Beyond them the tribe and the twins are a withering heap. Jack turns to Ralph and speaks through his

teeth.

JACK: See? They do what I want.

RALPH: You’re a beast and a swine and a bloody, bloody thief!

Ralph charges. Jack charges too. They meet with a jolt and bounce apart. Jack swings his fist at Ralph and
catches him on the ear. Ralph hits Jack in the stomach causing him to grunt. They face each other panting and
furious. They become aware of sounds in the background. It is the steady, shrill cheering of the tribe.

PIGGY: Let me speak!

The tribe seeing Piggy’s intention begins to boo. Piggy holds up the conch and the booing fades a little.

PIGGY: I’ve got the conch! I tell you! I’ve got the conch!

There is silence except for a noise moving past Ralph’s head. Zup! Someone is throwing stones. He looks up
to see it is Roger. Roger’s hand is on the lever, the palm that was under the rock. Below him, Ralph is a shock
of yellow hair and Piggy a bag of fat.

PIGGY: I have to say this. You are all acting like a pack of kids!

The booing rises and falls as Piggy lifts the white, magic shell.

PIGGY: Which is it better to be: a pack of painted savages like you are, or be sensible like Ralph is?

A great uproar rises among the savages.

PIGGY: Which is better? To have rules and agree or to hunt and kill?

Again there is a clamor and a loud Zup!

PIGGY: Which is better to have: law and rescue or hunting and breaking things up?

Jack is now yelling too and Ralph cannot make himself heard. Jack backs up against the tribe and they are now
a solid wall of menace. Ralph stands facing them with his spear ready. By him stands Piggy holding out the
talisman with its fragile pale beauty shining. There is a storm of sound, a chant of hatred. High overhead,
Roger with a sense of delirious abandonment leans his weight against the lever.

Ralph hears the rock before he sees it. He feels the jolt of earth through the souls of his feet. As the monstrous
red thing bounded towards him he flattens herself against the ground.

The rock strikes Piggy with a glancing blow from chin to knee. The conch explodes into a thousand white
fragments and ceases to exist. Piggy says nothing with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air
sideways from the rock, turning over as he went. The rock bounced twice and was lost in the forest. Piggy fell
forty feet and landed on his back across the square red rock in the sea. Piggy’s arms and legs twitched a bit,
like the pig’s, after it had been killed. His head opens; stuff comes out, and turns red. The water boils pink and

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white over the rock. It flows back again. The body of Piggy is gone.
This time the silence is complete. Ralph’s lips from a word, but nothing comes out.
JACK: See?! See?! That’s what you get. I mean it. There isn’t a tribe for you anymore. The conch is gone-
RALPH: I’m the chief!
With full intention, Jacks hurls his spear at Ralph. The point tears the skin above Ralph’s ribs. Ralph turns and
runs. He obeys an instinct he did not know he had and swerved over the open space so that the spears went
inside. He jumps over the carcass of the dead pig and heads into the forest.

The chief stops by the pig.

JACK: Back to the fort!

Roger returns nosily to the neck of the fort. Roger joins them.
JACK: Why aren’t you on watch?

ROGER: I just came down...

JACK: Samneric, you have to join the tribe.

SAM: Let me go!

ERIC: And me!

Jack snatches up one of the remaining spears and pokes Sam in the ribs.

JACK: What do you mean by coming up here with spears? What do you mean by not joining my tribe?

The prodding becomes rhythmic. Sam howls out loud. Roger moves forward nearly pushing Jack out of the
way.
ROGER: That’s not the way to do it.

Roger advanced upon them as one having a nameless authority.

SCENE TWELVE: CRY OF THE HUNTERS

Ralph lays hidden. He wonders about his wounds. There is bruised flesh above his ribs and a bloody scar
where the spear had hit him. His hair is full of dirt and he is scratched and bruised from his flight into the
forest. He was not that far from Castle Rock. He listens for approaching feet. He catches a glimpse of one and
judges that it is Bill. But really, Ralph thinks, it is not Bill. The savage stripped in red, brown, and green could
not match with the ancient mental picture of a boy in shorts and a shirt.

Ralph moves taking his spear with him. He is hungry. He argues that maybe the savages will leave him alone,

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but knows that Jack will never let things rest. The breaking of the conch and the deaths of Piggy and Simon lay
on the island. A spasm of terror shakes him and he cries out aloud.

He comes upon the grinning skull of the pig. A sick fear and rage overcomes him. He strikes at the thing, but
it seems to sway and bounce back like a toy. He lashes out again until his knuckles are bleeding. The split
skull now lays in two pieces six feet apart.

There are sounds coming from Castle Rock. Listening carefully Ralph recognizes the familiar rhythm.

KILL THE BEAST! SPILL HIS BLOOD! CUT HIS THROAT!

The tribe was dancing. Ralph puts his head down on his arm and accepts this fact like a new wound. He
assumed Sam and Eric were a part of the tribe now. They were guarding Castle Rock against him.
Nevertheless, Ralph sneaks up the mountain. He recognizes the familiar voices of the twins. He spoke gently.

RALPH: Samneric--

He had to speak louder. But he did not want to alert the others. He raised his head until it was nearly level
with the mountain.

RALPH: Samneric!

Hearing the cry, the twins scream and hold onto each other.
RALPH: It’s me. Ralph.

ERIC: Ralph! We thought it was...
SAM: We weren’t sure-- but we thought it was...

ERIC: You have to go, Ralph. You go away right now!

He shoves his spear at Ralph.

ERIC: You go!

RALPH: I came to see you two.
SAM: Honest, Ralph. You’d better go.
RALPH: You two aren’t painted. How can you...?

SAM: You got to go because it is not safe.

ERIC: They made us. They hurt us.

RALPH: Who? Jack?

ERIC: No. Go Ralph.

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SAM: It’s a tribe.
ERIC: They made us.
SAM: We couldn’t help it.
RALPH: What have I done? I liked him. I just wanted us to be rescued.
ERIC: Listen Ralph. Never mind what makes sense. That’s gone. Never mind about the chief. You got to

go for your own good.
SAM: The chief and Roger...
ERIC: Yes, Roger...
SAM: They hate you Ralph. They are going to kill you.
ERIC: They are going to hunt you tomorrow.
RALPH: But why?
ERIC: I don’t know. And Jack...the chief...says you’re dangerous. He says we have to be careful. We are

supposed to throw our spears like at a pig.
SAM: We are going to spread out in a line across the island. We’re going forward from this end until we find

you.
ERIC: When we see you, we are supposed to go like this.
Eric makes a noise and beats his hand against his open mouth.
SAM: Like that. Only louder of course.
RALPH: But I have done nothing. I only wanted to keep up a fire! What are they going to do when they find

me?
The twins are silent.
RALPH: What are they...Oh God. I’m hungry.
SAM: You’ve got to go now.
ERIC: For your own good.
SAM: Keep away as long as you can.
RALPH: Won’t you come with me? The three of us--we’d stand a chance!
SAM: You don’t know Roger. He’s a terror!

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ERIC: And the chief--they’re both--terrors.

SAM: Only Roger.

The boys freeze. Someone is climbing towards them.

ERIC: He’s coming to see if we are keeping watch. Quick Ralph leave!

RALPH: I’ll lie close in that grove down there. They will never think to look so close.
You two keep them away. I’m going to be alright, aren’t I?

SAM: Here take this!

Ralph felt a chunk of meat placed in his hands.

RALPH: What are they going to do when they catch me?

ERIC: Roger….he sharpened a stick at both ends.

Ralph is tense. There are voices on top of Castle Rock. Someone is arguing with Samneric. Ralph began to
tear ravenously at the meat Sam gave him. While he is eating, he hears noises. Cries of pain from Samneric.
Cries of panic. Angry voices. The plan is to crawl so deep into the grove and wait until a savage was forced to
enter the grove crawling. He would jab the crawler and wait until the others passed by. Then he would be
free.

***

Ralph is awake before his eyes even open. He listens to a noise that is coming near him. A savage is on all
fours moving towards him. The savage howls and the cry is repeated in both directions. Ralph moves deeper
into the grove. There is a bit of luck; the boulder that killed Piggy had rolled into the thicket smashing a large
area around it. Ralph wriggled deeper. Minutes pass. He hears a voice--Jack’s voice--but it is hushed.

JACK: Are you certain?

ROGER: If you are fooling us--

Immediately after this, there came a gasp and a squeal of pain. Ralph crouches. One of the twins is in front of
the grove with Jack and Roger.

JACK: You sure he meant in there?

There is a faint moan and another squeal.

JACK: He said he’d hide in there?

There is a scream of yes. Laughter scatters among the trees. Ralph picks up his stick and prepares for battle.
He smiles at the difficulty the tribe will have with breaking through the grove. He feels the point of his spear
and grins at the thought that anyone who tried to worm their way through would be stuck.

There is a long breathless silence. Then Jack’s voice comes from the top.

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JACK: Heave! Heave! Heave!

A rock falls from the cliff. It crashes against the grove--thumping and crashing its way towards the beach. A
shower of broken leaves and twigs falls on Ralph. The tribe cheers.

Silence again.

Ralph waits with his fingers in his mouth. There is one more rock that hangs above him. It is the size of a tank.

JACK: Heave! Heave! Heave!

The earth jumps and begins to shake steadily. Ralph is shot into the air and lands against the branches.
Only a few feet away from Ralph, the grove is bent. The red rock moves past him and bounds towards the sea.

Silence again but not entirely so.

There is whispering outside. Suddenly the branches are shaken on Ralph’s right. Ralph sees the point of a
spear and thrusts out his own.

RALPH: Aah-ah!

Ralph feels the spear twist in his hands and withdraws it.

Someone is moaning outside and a babble of noises rises. A fierce argument is going on and the wounded
savage keeps moaning.

VOICE: See! I told you he was dangerous!

Ralph waits listening to the laughing of the savages. He raises his spear and snarls. Someone laughs excitedly
and another shouts Smoke!

The grove is set on fire. Ralph moves to the front of the entrance. Between him and the rest of the forest there
is a savage striped in red and white stands carrying a spear. He coughs and wipes the paint around his eyes.
Ralph launches like a cat, snarling and stabbing with his spear. Ralph runs with the swiftness of fear. He
moves along the Pig’s trail and then swerves. Behind him the war cry sweeps across the island.

Ralph questions what he should do. Should he hide in a tree? Should he break the line? Should he try to hide
so well that they would pass him? He wanted to think, but he couldn’t.

What is the sensible thing to do? Why be sensible when there is no assembly, no conch, no Piggy?

He decided that hiding would be better than a tree because he had a chance of breaking the line if he was
discovered. He wondered if a pig would agree. Find the deepest grove, the darkest hole on the island, and
creep in.

Ralph drew his feet up and crouched. Then a savage was looking right into his eyes. Ralph screams, a scream
of fright, anger, and desperation. The screams become continuous and foaming. He shoots forward and bursts
through the thicket. He is snarling and bloody. He swings and a savage tumbles over. Others are coming
towards him. They are crying out. He swerves as a spear flies past. All at once, light flickers before him.
The entire forest appears to be on fire. Ralph swings to the right and runs desperately fast. Heat spreads

78

bright on his left side. A brown figure shows up on his right and falls away. They are all running, all crying
out madly.

Ralph forgets his wounds, his hunger, his thirst and becomes fear. He is hopeless fear on flying feet rushing
through the forest towards the beach. He stumbles over a root and the cries that follow him become louder. A
shelter bursts into flames. Fire laps at his right shoulder. He is rolling over and over in the sand trying to cry
out for mercy.

He staggers to his feet and looks up to see a huge white-topped cap. On the cap there is an anchor. The naval
officer stands on the sand looking down at Ralph in astonishment. On the beach behind him is a boat with a
machine gun. The war cries faltered and died away.

OFFICER: Hullo.

Ralph's squirms a little. He is embarrassed by his filthy appearance.

RALPH: Hullo.

OFFICER: Are there any adults--any grownups with you?

Ralph shakes his heads and turns to look at the semicircle of little boys, their bodies are streaked with colored
clay, and their hands hold sharp sticks. They make no noise at all.

OFFICER: Fun and games.

The fire continues to burn down the island. The sky is black with smoke. The officer looks down at Ralph and
smiles.

OFFICER: We saw your smoke. What have you been doing? Having a war or something?

Ralph nods. The officer inspects the little boy in front of him.

OFFICER: Nobody killed, I hope? Any dead bodies?
RALPH: Only two. And they’re gone.

OFFICER: Two? Killed?

Other boys appear now. Tiny tots with the bloated bellies of savages. One of them comes close to the officer.
PERCIVAL: I’m...I’m--

There are no more words to come. Percival Wemys Madison searched in his head for that which had faded
clean away. The officer turns to Ralph.

OFFICER: We’ll take you off the island. How many of you are there?

Ralph shakes his head. The officer looks past him to the group of painted boys.

OFFICER: Who’s boss here?

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RALPH: I am.
A little boy with red hair who carries the remains of a broken pair of glasses starts forward, changes his mind
and stands still.
OFFICER: We saw your smoke. And you don’t know how many there are?
RALPH: No, sir.
OFFICER: I would have thought that a pack of British boys--you are all British aren’t you?--would have been

able to put up a better show than that. I mean--
RALPH: It was like that at first-- before things...We were together then.
OFFICER: I know. Jolly good show. Just like the book Coral Island.
Ralph looks at him dumbly. For a moment there had been a fleeting glamour of being on the island. But now
the island is scorched up like dead wood and Simon was dead and Jack had... The tears begin to flow as sobs
shake him. He gives himself up to them for the first time on the island. Infected by that emotion the other boys
begin to shake and sob too. Ralph wept for the end of innocence the darkness of man’s heart the fall
through the air of a true and wise friend called Piggy.
The officer, surrounded by these noises, was moved and a little embarrassed. He turned away to give them time
to pull themselves together; and waited, allowing his eyes to rest on the boat in the distance.

80